When Best Edge SEO, Inc is writing commercial copy for a webpage, we have to balance two main strategic objectives. First and foremost, we must write copy that sells. This generally means including lots of words selected to motivate buyers, but those words are not necessarily words that a potential buyer might search for. Secondly, we need to include the most relevant keywords, phrases, and search terms that bring the potential customer to the site, but those words aren’t always great marketing terms. Our goal is to merge these sometimes disparate objectives in a way that is not jarring to the reader; if our copy does not “flow” and is not effortless to read, the result may be a lost customer and diminished sales, not to mention lower search engine rankings. Blending marketing language with optimized search terms can be tricky, but at Best Edge SEO, Inc we have a planned and methodical approach, we do it artfully. Our challenge is to write copy that sells, but still gives the spiders and bots what they want.

There are hundreds of successful businesses out there that use almost nothing but clipped “bullet points” of product features on their webpage’s and subscribe to the notion that people don’t want to read lengthy copy. But regardless of what you might have heard to the contrary, numerous studies have shown that people who are serious about making a purchase love long copy and they will read every word. They are hungry for facts and information, especially if they are not fully familiar with what they wish to purchase or if they are a first-time buyer.

This works in your favor, from both a SEO standpoint and a marketing standpoint. Writing good optimized copy allows us to get multiple keywords and phrases into your page, while delivering rich marketing copy touting the benefits of your product. Remember that your product’s features and benefits are often some of the most effective keywords and phrases, for example, cordless drill, hammer drill, hand drill, hydraulic drill, etc. Writing meaningful content that informs and sells while improving your ranking gives you a serious competitive advantage over the “bullet point” marketers.

It bears mentioning that even if the website you are concerned with is a non-commercial venture, you are still selling something; you are selling the value and worthiness of your website, cause, idea, or goal. If you are reading this article, it is a given that you are interested in improving the ranking of a website, be it your own or a client’s. Get comfortable with the idea of “selling” your idea or cause, and set a course to improve your webpage’s ranking.

Speaking the Language

When Best Edge SEO chooses keywords and search terms for your site, we don’t rely solely on keyword tools. We study the top-ranking pages in depth, looking for terms and phrases that come up frequently but don’t necessarily show up highly in keyword tools. We consult the dictionary and thesaurus for alternate words. We read a book or two on the topic, if possible. And wherever possible, we speak with authorities in the field, and even customers themselves. In talking with people that know the topic, we’ll gain lots of words, phrases, idioms, and even slang that people naturally use when discussing your product. Write them down. Weaving those words and phrases seamlessly into your writing creates authority in your customers’ minds, as well as in the search engine algorithms.

Prioritize Your Keywords

At Best Edge SEO, Inc. we break down your newly acquired keyword list into three groups: High, Medium, and Low priority. We select three or five for the High priority list, and relegate the rest to Medium and Low priority. We try to keep the Medium list to words and short phrases that turn up in your search tools and your research with some frequency. Then we place the clearly long tail search terms in the Low priority list.

Now, it’s time that we weave your words into your Title tag, H1 Headline tag, the Alt tags of your images, and obviously, your text. It probably won’t be possible get ALL of your terms in, so we are prepared to make some compromises. Here’s where the craft of our expertly trained Best Edge SEO, Inc. writing staff will come to light by writing good optimized marketing copy comes into play.

The Title Tag

The Title tag is intended to describe an online document. Outside of actual content, this is the most critical element for optimizing your page. The Title tag turns up in three important ways. It appears in the viewer’s browser bar and tabs, the title of search engine results, and most external sites, particularly news and social media sites, will use the Title tag as the clickable text for a link. Best practices says that the Title tag should be no longer than 70 characters (the maximum length Google displays in its results). Working your three or five High priority keywords into 70 characters may not be possible. Yet creating a Title tag heavy with keywords is critical for raising your ranking in the search engines. A concise description that includes critical keywords is the key to getting a surfer to click the link, but your surfer will probably not click a link that is just an alphabet soup of keywords that may or may not be related to his specific search.

So we select your two or three most important keywords or phrases, and work out a way to include them at the beginning of the tag. The closer they are to the beginning of the tag, the better you will rank, and the more likely your potential customer will be to click your link.

Here’s where we lay out a concise headline with your High priority keywords and phrases. Once the viewer is on the page, he isn’t paying any attention to the Title tag at the top of his browser anymore. Here is where the sale begins, and our text must not only grab the viewer’s attention, it must have the most important keywords rather than a jumble of Low or Medium priority keywords. At Best Edge SEO, Inc., we incorporate your Medium priority keywords and phrases where they are meaningful and appropriate.

One thing that is often overlooked by other SEO companies is the H2 Headline tag! Search engines look at these too, so here is where we can work in some of your Medium priority keywords. We look over your Medium priority keywords and phrases and determine which ones we can write a few lines about. If you are selling electronic widgets, we can write a few lines about “battery powered widgets”, “travel widgets”, customized widgets”, etc. We are certain to include images and optimized Alt tags for each H2 Headline.

We bring It All Together

Best Edge SEO, Inc. writers now will write your main copy, rich in proven and tested marketing language that sings the praises and benefits of your product, and dropping in your Medium and Low priority keywords and phrases where they work from a “readability” standpoint. The reader should be oblivious to our optimization efforts and should not feel like he is being hammered by keywords. We write in an almost conversational tone whenever possible, and be sure to use variants of your keywords, ie, plurals, past/present/future tenses, etc. We try breaking up phrases and making new phrases out of singular keywords if we can and if it makes sense in the context of your reader. But above all, we make it smooth and effortless to read.

When we write copy, we like to “finish” the piece and then let it sit overnight, then we come back to it for a final edit with fresh eyes the next day. We read it out loud, or better still, have someone else read it to us. If they stumble over it or if it sounds jarring to us, we know we need to put in a little editing time. Good optimized copy flows from the page and doesn’t sound like a string of keywords. Our keyword optimization should be invisible to the reader, leaving him free to focus on your marketing language and product benefits, and leading him to make a positive purchase decision.

Written by Best Edge SEO, Inc. this article contains thought leader information that may not be used for duplication and is considered as proprietary assets. Please be aware that any copying, distribution or use of the contents hereof is strictly prohibited. If you have any questions, please notify Best Edge SEO, Inc. or Jeffrey DeArmond (727) 278-6295,Jeff@BestEdgeSEO.com, thank you.

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